9-Day Lakeside Yoga Escape at Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Mornings and evenings are built around yoga. The morning session is the grounding, waking-up one; the evening session winds the day down. In between, the schedule deliberately leaves gaps. That's the defining feature here — this isn't a retreat that marches you from one scheduled activity to the next. The structure gives you two anchored practices a day and then hands the rest of the time back to you.

What you do with that time depends on where you are and how you feel. The lake is right there for swimming or for paddling across. The surrounding tropical dry forest has trails for hiking. Granada, one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas, is close enough for a half-day visit, as is the Masaya area. Or you stay put — the lakeside setting is the kind of place where lying in a hammock listening to the forest counts as the plan.

Accommodation is at a property referred to as Miriam, on the lake, with a range of rooms from a shared twin up to a lake-view suite. Being on the water means swimming and lake access are part of daily life rather than an excursion you book.

Food is homemade and plant-based throughout, prepared fresh for the group. Because the retreat runs in small bookings, the kitchen can tailor meals to dietary needs — you tell them yours and they confirm what they'll do.

The retreat is led by Miriam, who is based in Nicaragua and runs the lakeside programme across several lengths, from four up to nine days. Laguna de Apoyo itself — a flooded volcanic crater — is the real draw: clear, swimmable water, forest on all sides, and a calm that a beach resort doesn't give you.

What's included

- Accommodation on the lake for the length of your stay - Daily morning and evening yoga sessions - Homemade plant-based meals - Access to the lake for swimming - Free time built into the schedule

What's not included

- Flights and transport to Nicaragua - Travel insurance - Optional day trips and excursions - Personal expenses - Optional upgrades and extras